Reddit's Best Little-Known Tips for Auto Insurance

Could these tips from Reddit help drivers save on insurance coverage?

Auto insurance is important for all drivers to have. Most states legally require insurance coverage, and it protects motorists from losing their assets if an accident or other incident occurs. But, buying car insurance can be complicated and expensive, so it pays to find tips on how to get the best coverage at a fair price.

Reddit is one place to look for suggestions on getting the right insurance and saving money in the process. Reddit is a community where people share advice and ask questions, and there have been many threads on Reddit devoted to making smart choices when it comes to car insurance.

Here are some of the best suggestions Reddit users have made.

Be careful what job title you pick

When drivers apply for insurance, they are asked to specify what their profession is. Numerous Reddit users suggest selecting the job title carefully because this can impact insurance rates.

"I knew a guitarist who spent more time teaching than playing. He changed his insurance profession from "Musician" to "Music Teacher" and saved an absolute fortune," one Redditor wrote.

Of course it is always important to be honest when completing an application. But, as the Reddit users in the thread explained, there are often numerous potential titles that a person could pick that describe their job. It can be helpful to get several quotes with each of the different potential job titles to see if one option results in cheaper coverage.

Score the annual payoff discount with a 0% APR card

Many car insurers offer a discount for paying insurance premiums annually. Drivers who can afford to pay all at once can benefit from this savings -- but what about people who can't come up with hundreds of dollars at once (or who don't want to)?

One Reddit user has a smart suggestion. The Redditor said that he was going to apply for a credit card with a 0% APR purchase and use the card to pay the entire insurance premiums upfront.

"Wouldn't it make sense to just get this card and pay off my annual insurance and enjoy both benefits of a lower premium whilst also paying monthly rather than losing a huge chunk of money right away?" the Redditor asked, and many others agreed.

Of course, drivers who try this technique would need to be sure not to miss payments and make sure they pay off their card balance in full before the 0% rate expires. But setting up automatic payments to do that would be just as easy as setting up automatic monthly car insurance payments -- and it would come with the added benefit of credit card rewards.

Shop around often for insurance quotes

A Reddit user who was a "Supervisor at one of the largest insurance companies in the U.S." offered an extremely important tip for drivers. "Shop around every year or two," the Reddit user advised. "Insurance rates change pretty frequently, especially as cars get more and more expensive to fix."

The Redditor went on to explain that rate increases are common, but motorists can often score better rates by shopping around each year. "Do these quotes through the company websites directly, though, not an aggregator website, as those tend to not be the most accurate," the user suggested.

Each of these three tips can help motorists save on insurance while getting the right coverage, so the suggestions are definitely worth listening to.